


To the Moon and Back

by WordsFromTheOtherSide



Series: I'll Follow You [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cancer, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace Fluff, Protective Nico, Protective Will Solace, Sick Character, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-02-22 22:42:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23001577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordsFromTheOtherSide/pseuds/WordsFromTheOtherSide
Summary: A Sequel to "To the Ends of the Earth"Aurelio's path through treatment's and Nico and Will being overprotective.--I intend to keep this short so the final installment will be rather long.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo & Hades, Nico di Angelo & Will Solace, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Series: I'll Follow You [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1594603
Comments: 2
Kudos: 86





	1. Chapter 1

Ever since Aurelio was born, all of his doctors, even Dr Chase had commented on how healthy he was. He was slightly taller than the average three year old, but nothing that could hurt him. He was tall like his father.

It wasn't anything major at first, it was a little fever and he was tired. Will and I thought he was taking on a cold. We gave him medicine, and we thought he got better after a few days. He seemed less tired for several weeks but Will noticed that he had small bumps on his neck.

"I'm pretty sure it's his lymph nodes," Will told me, showing me how the areas beneath his jaw were swollen. "You know how your neck hurts when you're sick? The lymph nodes are activated in order to destroy the bacteria or virus,"

"So? He's still sick, right?" I asked, gently rubbing the bumps, Aurelio whined loudly, making a distressed face. I stopped in favor of brushing his hair from his face.

"I would believe that yes, but I'm worried. They seem off," Will rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not a pediatric, I don't work with kids that often. But I'm pretty sure something might be wrong. He's paler than usual, and he barely eats."

"So it might be something else?" I asked.

"Maybe, I don't know. I'm just really worried about him. I called in for a doctor's appointment, he was complaining about hurting all over." Will rubbed Aurelio's head.

"When's the appointment?" I asked, adjusting my hold on Aurelio.

"Tomorrow at one," he said.

"Okay," I said. We sat in silence for some time, Aurelio sitting in my lap, his little face scrunched up in pain. "What's wrong, Bambino?"

"Hurt," he mumbled, burying his face in my chest.

"I'm sorry, Bambino. Can Mama kiss you better?" I asked, and he nodded. I proceeded to press kisses all over his face, telling him how much I loved him.

Will, sitting beside us on the couch, chuckled. "Hey, it's getting pretty late, we should get Aurelio to bed soon,"

"Can he sleep with us tonight?" I asked. "It might make him feel better," It'll certainly calm my nerves, knowing he's nearby.

"Of course," We stood up and started walking upstairs, Aurelio perched in my arms. I slipped into our bedroom, but Will went across the hall.

"Where are you going?" I called after him.

"I know you. You're gonna make a nest, so I'm gonna grab some of Lio's blankets," he smiled. I rolled my eyes. I hated the nickname Will had given our son, but he wouldn't stop. I also hated how well he knew me, because I was already planning on how to make a nest quickly that'll fit the three of us comfortably. I'd never admit to Will how right he was, after all.

I was becoming worried. It'd been three hours and Aurelio hadn't been able to fall asleep, despite how tired he claimed he was. We'd changed position at least a dozen times, and Aurelio was beginning to complain about pain while Will developed a headache. He'd taken some meds, and possibly a couple melatonin pills because he was out like a light, snoring next to me as I comforted our distressed pup.

"Mama?" Aurelio whined.

"Yes, tesoro?" I hummed, softly rocking him back and forth, curling my fingers through his hair.

"Wanna lalabee," he whimpered, his tiny hand curling tightly in my shirt. "Pwetty please?"

"Of course, tesoro," I smiled at in, kissing his forehead, which was far too warm for my liking. "Let's take your temperature first, then I'll sing you a lullaby, okay?" I smiled at him, hoping I didn't worry him.

"Ok'y," he sniffled. I slid out of the nest, leaving Will to rest on his own. Aurelio gripped the front of my shirt tightly in his little fists. I sat him on the edge of the bathroom sink as I grabbed the thermometer from the mirror compartment. Will strongly believed that the thermometers that are placed beneath one's tongue work better than the ones placed in the ear. We still used both, however much Will complained.

Aurelio sat there with the stick under his tongue as I held the end of it. After a minute, it beeped and I looked at the numbers. I did not like what I saw. "Stay here, Mama's gotta talk to Daddy real quick," I told Aurelio, kissing his forehead. I slipped back into the bedroom and shook Will until he was sitting up groggily, mumbling incoherently.

"What is it?" He yawned, one eye closed and the other one unfocused.

"This," I hissed. I shoved the stick into his hands. "Is Aurelio's temperature!"

"This is fake," he murmured. "He can't be one hundred and one point three degrees. He just can't be." He blinked at me, more alert.

"He is, I just took that, you can look again if you want," I said, trying to keep my nerves in check. Will stood up and pulled me close so I could take in his scent. I sighed, relaxing in his arms.

"Relax, angel, don't freak out," Will kisses my hair before going to Aurelio in the bathroom. He reappeared a few moments later, concern obvious on his face. "Get dressed," he said. "We're taking Aurelio to the ER,"

"That was my point," I told him. "It can't be safe for him to have such a high temperature. If I wasn't concerned, I wouldn't have bothered you!" I muttered, quickly getting dressed before grabbing Aurelio, who Will had (stupidly) left in the bathroom, scared, feverish and confused.

"Where go?" He asked when I told him we'd be heading out soon.

"We're getting you checked up on. Mama and Daddy don't like how hot you are," I told him. "We're just trying to make sure you're nice and healthy, okay Bambino?"

"Uh-huh," he nodded vaguely.

It didn't take too long for the three of us to get ready. Yes, it was eleven at night, but we weren't gonna put off the worrying temperature. Before we left, I grabbed an ice pack and a bottle of water. I held the ice on Aurelio's forehead while Will drove. I coaxed Aurelio to drink the water.

"Put the ice on the back of his neck," Will said. "That should help a little more than his forehead."

"You're the doctor," I moved the pack to the back of our pup's neck.

"Not legally," he chuckled, focusing on driving.

"Mama?" My pups small voice crept into my ears.

"Yes, dear?" 

"Never got my lalabee," he said.

"You're right, I'll sing you one now, okay?"

"Ok'y,"

* * *

The hospital allowed to get a check up from a doctor. She was really kind and helpful, though she rambled and baby talked to Aurelio quite a bit. In the end, she just took the tests and left us in the room together to stress over Aurelio's condition.

We both attempted to convince ourselves that Aurelio was going to be fine. It was just a bad case of the flu or some kind of virus. When the doctor came back she asked to speak with Will alone. The two stepped outside and they stayed out there and talked for somewhere around fifteen or twenty minutes. I sat on the hospital bed, cradling Aurelio against my chest. I hummed gentle tuned to him as we waited for the two to come back into the room.

Will was the first one to re-enter. His face was neutral as he sat down next to me. "Hey,"

"Hey," I said softly. "What's going on?"

Will sighed, pulling me into a hug. "They're double checking the tests now, but the doctors believe that he's got acute lymphoblastic leukemia or acute myeloid leukemia. They're not sure which one yet. They just know that something isn't right."

"What - What's that mean?" I asked quietly, panic seizing my heart.

"Aurelio has cancer," Will whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

I thought I knew what fear felt like. When I was a child, I had thought going on large roller coasters was fear inducing. I'd thought having and raising a child was the most terrifying thing to ever happen to me. I had truly thought I knew fear as a close friend when Will had disappeared three years ago, back while I was still pregnant. None of that held even a flicker of a candle to the fear of hearing that my pup had cancer. One of the world's biggest killers. I hugged Aurelio to my chest, forcing down the panic attack that was boiling beneath my skin. I stared at my pup, his baby blue eyes and pouty lips. I looked up to Will, desperate for his freckled face to break into a smile and for him to tell me that this was all some stupid, sick joke. He didn't. He stared at me with the same sad baby blue eyes Aurelio had.

Tears filled my eyes, and I couldn't form any words. I choked out a sob and grabbed the front of Will's jacket and he pulled me close. I clung to him tightly.

"Shh," My Alpha crooned to me softly. "Its okay, everything is gonna be okay,"

I shook my head, gasping for air. Nothing was okay. Nothing was going to be okay. It felt as if everything was falling apart around me. Everything was wrong and trying to fix it was like lifting an elephant off the ground by myself.

I buried myself into Will's chest, forcing down the urge to scream and sob into my mate's chest. Crying wouldn't help Aurelio or us.

* * *

The ride home was blurry and I don't remember much of it, just crying and clinging to Will's arm the whole time. Somehow I managed to get inside and make a nest in our room, curling up with Aurelio, and the whole time I didn't realize what I was doing. I do remember waking up with the distinct feeling of warmth against my back.

I rolled over a little, and saw Will, his eyes closed and his breathing deep and even. I sighed and rolled back over, looking at my pup, who was curled tightly against my chest, his pudgy hands gripping my shirt like a lifeline, making little noises of discomfort and fear. I cupped the back of his head as a means of comfort, and I began humming lullabies, soft nursery rhymes to try to ease his mind. After a few minutes, his whines eased away, yet he held tightly to my shirt still.

I sighed, curling around my pup, pushing away the sense of dread I felt. I hadn't felt so lost since Bianca had died. I knew I was surrounded by people who would help, by people who loved both me and Aurelio, but I felt completely alone. Like I was fighting against an army by myself.

"Neeks?" Will groaned sleepily. "You okay, sunshine?" He rubbed my back, pressing soft kisses to my neck - to our Mark. "You don't need to cry, babe, we'll figure this out. I promise everything is gonna get better,"

"I'm not crying," I whispered, but I could hear the sob in my voice, how it cracked and broke.

Will was quiet for several minutes before he gently grabbed my shoulder. "Come on," he told me, an easy smile gracing his lips. He held out his hand and I took it. My Alpha pulled me to my feet and carefully took our sleeping Aurelio from my arms. He strode across the room and pushed open the window, letting in the cool autumn air. He climbed up onto the window sill, balancing Aurelio in his arms, and held out a hand to me. I looked at his hand; he'd been in that same position so many years ago, before Aurelio, before our Mating, before we even thought of dating one another, he'd offered to show me something beautiful. He had pulled me to his bedroom window and climbed onto the sill and pulled me with him to sit on the roof. We could see the park, the houses and even the high school if we stood up. Above all, we could see the large cherry tree that grew in Wills backyard. We sat together on the roof watching the pink blossoms fall and scatter across the neighborhood for hours.

"Are you coming, angel?" Will asked, now holding our son, hoping I'd take his hand.

"Yes," I whispered. I grabbed his hand tightly in my own and allowed him to pull me through the window until we were sitting together, looking over the cherry tree, now barren. 

"You've been in your head a lot," Will commented as I settled between his legs, my back pressed to his chest, Aurelio once again curled against my own. "You tend to do that a lot when you're upset,"

"I just found out that my pup is going to die," I whispered, if i had attempted to speak louder I would have broken down again.

"He's not going to die," Will promised me. "He's gonna get better, Neeks. I know he has your fighting spirit. And I know you haven't lost that." He chuckled, pressing a kiss directly on the Mark, sending a jolt of electricity down my spine. I whined softly. I didn't know what I had or what'd I'd lost. I knew I was lost though. "Neeks," Will pressed several kisses around my Mark, teasing the sensitive skin. "Don't get stuck in there, or else I'll have to pull you out somehow." He teased, and I felt his lips quirk into a smile against my skin.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, curling into a ball, protectively wrapping myself around Aurelio. "I'm sorry,"

"It's okay, Neeks, it's okay," Will's strong arms wrapped around my torso and he held me tightly, his cheek pressed into my back. 

"What are we going to do?" I asked quietly, running my fingers through Aurelio's soft hair. 

"We'll get him the treatment he needs, and we'll be strong for him. We'll be with him the whole way," he said softly.

"What if he doesn't…" I trailed off. I didn't want to think about it, even if the chances were higher than his survival.

"Shh, he's not gonna die," Will said, holding me tighter against him. "He's too strong,"

"He's a pup, Will, just a baby," I didn't want to whine, but my voice broke. Tears stung my eyes and I bit back a sob. "I don't want him to go through this, he's too innocent,"

"I know, Neeks, I know. I don't want him to do this either, but it's what's happening," Will sighed. "We can't just leave him to suffer though, this isn't just his fight." He pulled me so I was laying against his chest staring at the sky. "It's ours, too. We need to help him however we can,"

"So we'll get through this?" I asked.

"We will. All of us, together." He promised me, one arm wrapped around my waist and the other cupping the back of Aurelio's head. "Now get off you're crushing me,"

I chuckled and moved to the side, letting our pup curl against his chest, and I nestled into his side. I kept telling myself everything is going to be okay, we're going to get through this. Maybe if I keep telling myself that, I'll actually believe it.


	3. I'm Sorry

Wow, I have been gone for a while haven't I?

So, I'm here to give you my great apologies for the long, unannounced hiatus that I've put all of you through. I had a bought of writer's block and couldn't write for a short period of time, then life got in the way and then I never got back around to writing this series. I promise you, I'm going to be working hard on this series. School has been over for me for about two weeks now (?) and I am stuck at home and I have no excuse not to write anymore. So, I will be pushing through my current case of writer's block and get this story and the next up as soon as I can.

Thank you very much for your patience and your understanding. Once again, I'm very sorry.

-WordsFromTheOtherSide


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very medical fic and I am NOT a medical professional and I do not claim to be one. I did my research over several months and I am continuing to do my research as I write more and more of this, so if I wrote something incorrectly, or misinterpreted things and you are someone who understands how this process works, I would greatly appreciate your feedback. Thank you!  
> These are some of my sources. I plan on using them and others as I write this fic.  
> \- https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cancer.org/cancer/leukemia-in-children/treating/targeted-therapy.html&sa=D&ust=1591094238455000&usg=AFQjCNHjydrzJfp3dv0kDWyovMawlh-FSA  
> \- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/in-depth/monoclonal-antibody/art-20047808  
> \- https://www.cancer.org/cancer/acute-myeloid-leukemia/treating/typical-treatment-of-aml.html  
> \- https://ashpublications.org/blood/article/128/22/5938/95318/Using-Chargemaster-Data-to-Understand-Childhood
> 
> And thank you for reading this and being patient with my lack of existence.

"Combination chemotherapy is the most prominent treatment, but I'm thinking targeted therapy might work better," Will hummed, his blue eyes staring at the computer screen. "What do you think?"

"What are the differences?" I asked, rocking Aurelio from my position on the couch. The poor pup had been vomiting on and off for several hours. I was finally able to help him settle down and get some sleep.

"Targeted goes directly for the cancer cells, and this treatment I'm looking at now, it uses mono- man - colonial - _monoclonal_ antibodies to target specific cancer cells." Will stuttered, squinting at the screen. I chuckled quietly, my Mate was dyslexic, and I often made jokes about how he'd struggle with reading the medical terms. "Oh, shut up." He stuck his tongue out at me. "A _monoclonal_ antibody just bonds to certain substances in the body, and sometimes doctors will use them to kill the cancer cells."

"Sometimes the treatments are listed for adults, what about for kids?" I asked, looking at his computer. 

"This entire list is under pediatrics," Will said. "I'm worried about the cost, though," he rubbed the back of his neck grumbling softly. "The monthly average for the medicine is anywhere from five to ten thousand dollars,"

" _What?"_ I hissed. "That can't be right!"

"The reason why they mass produce medicine for the flu and allergies is because _everyone_ deals with them. Not everyone deals with cancer, so they need stronger drugs and that costs money, Neeks. I'll take on another job to help out,"

"Will, that'd be your third job on top of school," I protested. "You're already tired all the time, you can't do that, let me help, I'll get another job or two, I can start working as an accompanist or start teaching people how to play piano. I can get a job at another store or _something._ Will, I can help, too," In my rant, I accidentally roused Aurelio from his nap. He whined loudly, becoming fussy and wiggly. Will took him from my hands and hugged him close, his long tan fingers rubbing the boy’s black hair..

"Nico, what do we do about him?" Will asked as our pup settled down again. "We can't take care of him while we're both working."

"My dad works from home most of the time, he can keep an eye on him while we're both at work and whoever gets off first can take care of him." I offered. "It's gonna be a tiring schedule, but we can do it," I tried to sound confident, but it felt forced. 

“We’ll manage. We’ve been through worse, haven’t we?” Will chuckled dryly.

“Yeah,” I hummed. I swallowed back the lump of doubt and moved closer to Will’s side. I was terrified, and I knew he was, too. But despite how terrified we felt, we had to be strong for Aurelio. I looked up to my Mate and his beautiful blue eyes met my own. He gave me a small smile and he pressed a kiss to my forehead.

“It’s gonna be okay.” He whispered into my hair and I couldn’t tell whether he was consoling me or himself, but it didn’t matter because we both needed to hear it, even if it felt like the whole world was crumbling around us.

* * *

“Okay, so this one,” I pointed at Will’s laptop screen, staring at the jumble of letters. “Looks like a keysmash,” I chuckled before starting more intently at the words. _“Gemtuzumab ozogamicin,_ ” I said slowly and, more than likely, incorrectly. “Three doses?” I looked at Will.

“Yeah, but it’s normally used if the patient stops responding to chemo,” Will grumbled. “Chemo for AML is _stupid_ expensive,” he leaned over my shoulder and started tapping on the keyboard. “See, it can cost anywhere between seven hundred and thirty thousand to over one point three _million_ , Nico. On _average_. This is insane,”

“Where is all this money going?” I scowled at the computer, turning the screen towards me. “Intensive care and oncology - what’s that?”

“I think it’s either the study of cancers or tumors, I can’t remember.” Will shook his head, his blond curls bouncing. “The blood counts and blood products also take up a lot of the money, too.”

“How are we going to afford this?” I asked, slumping back in defeat.

“I don’t know,” He sighed. “We could try some of those online things where you ask people to donate,”

“But how many people are willing to donate more than a couple dollars?” I scowled. “We're both working two jobs, you've got school and it’ll be awhile before I could start a third one.”

“What about your piano lessons? Anything new?”

“No one’s signed up yet,” I sighed. “I’m not surprised though, the price is kinda high,”

“We’ll have to wait on that one,” He ran his fingers through his hair. “What about your dad? He’s gonna be helping out more than babysitting, right?’

“Absolutely,” I nodded. “When I told him about Aurelio, he immediately started asking questions about how he could help - if he could help pay for his treatments and medication. He said he’d pull some strings and call in favours to pull together the money for it.” My father had seemed almost frantic when I told him. I knew he cares about Aurelio’s wellbeing but I had no idea he’d freak out like I told him that he was the one who had leukemia.

“Glad to see your dad is willing to help,” Will ran his hands over his face.

“Your dad could help..” I started.

“ _No._ ” He growled and I flinched away from him, fear taking over my mind. My Mate noticed and took a deep breath, calming himself. “I’m sorry, it’s just - He _could_ help but the way he gets his money is . . . amoral. It’s illegal, really. And even if he got his money legally, I still wouldn’t want him around Aurelio and you. He’s dangerous,”

“You’re right, but, if it comes down to it…”

“Only when Aurelio’s life is on the line,” Will stated.

“His life _is_ on the line!” I snapped. “He could die without these treatments, you _know_ that!”

“I know his life is on the line, I meant that if we’re at the point of _‘if he doesn’t get this treatment he’ll die.’_ I mean, if he doesn’t get any of these treatments he’ll die -”

“Stop. Just stop talking.” I scowled. “You don’t want to get in contact with your dad, I get it. He literally kidnapped you. But we’re going to need as much help as we can get.”

“I know,” He groaned. “I know,”

“If it makes you feel better, we’ll wait to get in contact. See if we can get enough money from work, donations and Dad’s favours..” I stood up and stretched. "He'll be a last resort,"

“Thank you.” Will stood up as well and pulled me into a tight hug. “I love you, so, so much, Neeks. You’re so amazing and strong and smart,” He buried his face in my neck, muttering compliments as he pressed kisses to my neck.

“I love you, too, but please, I want to check up on Aurelio,” I sighed, returning his hug.

“Lio’s taking a nap, he’s okay,” Will sighed, but I knew he was worried, too. The pup had been too quiet for too long.

“Stop calling him that,” I scowled as I pulled away and made my way upstairs, Will following behind me.

“Why? It’s short and cute and it's much easier to say than _Aurelio_ ,”

“It doesn’t matter. His name is Aurelio and calling him _Lio_ reminds me of Leo and I don’t want to think of that crackhead when I see my son,” To that day I still hadn’t known what to make of the intelligent yet joking Leo Valdez.

“Leo wasn’t a crackhead, he has ADHD. I thought a lot of his pranks were funny,” Will corrected. “You know, he’s working as a mechanic now,”

“Good for him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had blown up someone’s car or something by now,” I grumbled and the conversation dried out as I pushed open the door to Aurelio’s room. I moved to my baby’s side, brushing back his dark hair from his face. He was asleep, though his face flushed with his feverish temperature. I was worried for the pup, who had very quickly become the center of my life after his birth.

“Neeks,” Will said quietly, his hand falling to rest on my shoulder. “We checked in on him and he’s just fine. We should let him rest.”

“Just a few more minutes,” I whispered. “Just a few more minutes,” I didn’t want to be away from Aurelio for too long. Not until I knew he was safe. Not until whatever demon was plaguing my baby’s body was gone and he was back to his happy, loving self again.

“Alright,” Will sighed. “Take as long as you need,” He pressed a kiss to my forehead, but didn’t leave the room. He was just as worried as I was, no matter how much he said that Aurelio was fine. I took his hand in mine and gave my Mate a warm smile, trying to be comforting, but it didn’t feel right. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “It’s gonna be okay, sunshine,” He hummed and I was surprised that I actually believed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said I would be back. So here I am. Thank you for reading I went to four different websites for a lot of this information. I'd like to repeat that I am not a medical professional. I'm writing things to my own understanding.
> 
> OH SOMETHING I REALIZED!!!  
> Aurelio shares his name with one of my favorite musical artists, Aurelio Voltaire and I never noticed until a couple days ago, aren't I an idiot?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I have no experience within the medical field and I am going to continue to share the links I used while researching this fic.  
> https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/side-effects.html  
> https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/chemotherapy.html  
> https://www.cancer.org/cancer/leukemia-in-children/treating/children-with-aml.html

Before Aurelio started his first session of chemo, we decided to take him to get his hair cut. We didn’t know if he’d lose his hair or if he’d be one of the cases that didn’t, but we figured it wouldn’t hurt to have it shorter. It hurt something deep inside of me every time I saw his face fill with fear and pain. I knew he didn’t like the IV drips, he always said they’d hurt. He’d struggle and try to pull the needle from his arm before crying that it hurt _more_.

“Buddy, I know that it hurts, but if you pull it out it’s gonna hurt a _lot_ more,” Will told him, taking his small hand in his. “Besides, you need the medicine.”

“How long?” Our pup whined. “How much med?”

I glanced at Will. “Right now, you’ve got two treatments, but they’re gonna take time,” I told him. “Each one is gonna be close to two weeks,”

“Too much,” Aurelio’s face had scrunched up as he pouted. “I not sick,”

“ _Tesoro,_ ” I said softly. “I know you’re scared, but you _are_ sick. That’s why you’re getting medicine.”

“But don’ wanna, Mama!” He whined, thrashing his arms. Will took his small hands into his own and held them against the bed in order to prevent the IV from being torn out. Aurelio wasn’t that strong to begin with, so Will didn’t need to use much force.

“Hey, hey, calm down, Lio,” Will told him. “You can’t be acting like that. I told you, if you pull out the needle, you’re gonna hurt a lot. You may not want the meds, but you gotta take them to feel better,”

“I not sick!” Aurelio repeated, his face turning red. “I don’ need med!”

“Aurelio,” I said, moving to sit next to him. “You need to calm down.” I held his face in my hands, making him look into my eyes. “You need to behave yourself. I know you don’t think you’re sick and that you don’t need meds, but if you don’t get the medicine you’re gonna feel really, really bad. _Bambino_ , you could start feeling so bad that the doctors can’t help you feel better.”

His blue eyes widened. “Not even Dada?”

“No, not even Daddy. That’s why you gotta calm down and take your medicine so the doctors can help you before you get super duper bad.” I pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Will you calm down for Mama?” He nodded slowly and Will and I let go. He slumped back in the hospital bed, his lower lip sticking out in a pout. “That’s better,” I sighed, running my fingers through his hair. “You calm, _mio tesoro_?” I asked and he nodded, his lower lip still stuck out like a sore thumb.

Will sat on a chair next to the bed, watching the fluid drip from the IV bag through the tube and into the needle taped to Aurelio’s arm. “We’re gonna be here for a while,” He hummed. “I should’ve brought my laptop, I need to get some work done for school,” Will and I had both called out of work so we could be there for Aurelio, but Will’s schooling was different.

“Look in my bag,” I said. I’d brought a backpack with some things in it - mostly colouring books and toys for Aurelio to play with, a novel I’d been reading and a few children’s books to read to my pup. I noticed Will had been leaving his laptop so I’d grabbed it and it’s charger and put them in my bag as well, knowing he’d want to do some work or research. 

“How are you a genius?” He asked in astonishment. 

“I’m not a genius. I just know my Mate,”’ I chuckled before turning back to Aurelio. “Do you want Mama to read to you or do you wanna colour for a while?”

He perked up. “Collah!” He said, sitting up straighter. I chuckled as Will handed me one of the colouring books and a box of crayons. I sat them in front of Aurelio. I opened the box for him and watched him colour for a while, running my fingers over his hair.

“Hey, Will,” I hummed looking over to my Mate, who glanced up from his computer. “I just noticed, Aurelio is left handed.”

“What?” He asked, as if he didn’t believe me.

“Look at him,” I sighed, looking back to my pup, who had stopped colouring to listen to our conversation, a green crayon clutched in his pudgy left hand.

“That’s fun,” Will hummed. “What’re you colouring, buddy?” Aurelio lifted the book to show his father the picture of Eeyore, Tigger and Winnie the Pooh, which were randomly colored in scribbles all over the pages. He was three, but at least he got most of it inside the lines . . . of the page. “That looks amazing, Lio, I’m so proud of you!” Will smiled widely at our pup. He reached over and rubbed his hand over his buzzed hair. Our pup crooned happily before turning the page and starting on the next image. I met Will’s eyes and smiled at him, which he returned happily.

“I’m thinking ice cream,” he said, rather randomly. I blinked at him and Aurelio looked back up, excited at the prospect of sweets.

“Ice c’eam?” He asked, his blue eyes hopeful. “P’ease, dada?”

“I dunno, it’s up to Mama,” Will’s mischievous blue eyes landed on me.

“P’ease, p’ease, Mama!” He tugged on my sleeve desperately. “Can ice c’eam? Pwetty p’ease?”

“I”m not sure, you did throw a big tantrum earlier,” I sighed. “I don’t think that kind of behaviour is something we should reward,”

“Mama!” he whined. “I be good! I be good!” He looked up at me with teary blue eyes.

“Alright, alright. As long as you behave during your treatments we’ll get ice cream,” I sighed, giving in to his puppy eyes. “But if you throw another tantrum like that, no ice cream or any sweet for a month,” He nodded rapidly, as if he understood the premises of our agreement. I knew all he heard and understood was _we’ll get ice cream._ I thought it was adorable how all he thought about was food.

“It’s settled, we'll get ice cream after the appointment.” Will smiled.

* * *

After his first few appointments, Aurelio grew tired more often. He wanted to walk from the car to the place in the park where we were meeting friends, and when he got there, he whined and begged to be held, saying his legs hurt and that he couldn’t breathe. I looked at Will for an explanation.

“Fatigue is the most common side effect of chemo, he’d gonna be tired more often.” He said as I spotted Hazel’s curly cinnamon coloured hair. Will scooped up our pup as we were spotted as well. Hazel ran towards us and threw her arm around my neck, pressing a hard kiss against my cheek.

“It’s been _way_ too long!” She told me, her golden eyes shimmering in the sunlight. She gave Will a tight hug before giving Aurelio a kiss on his forehead. “Look at you! You’ve gotten so big!” She crooned at Aurelio, who turned pink and smiled brightly. Hazel turned back to me and grabbed my hand. “ _You_ need to talk to us more often, everything we’ve heard about Aurelio was from Will,” She told me and I felt guilty for keeping my pup’s condition from my friends.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t want to worry you,” I told her.

“It’s alright.” She said. “Now come on, Frank and I baked brownies!” She pulled me along, Will following behind us.

“Hey, Neeks,” Piper said, waving one hand while shoving a brownie into her mouth. “You should try one of these brownies Frank made. They’re _so_ good,”

“Who’s the kid?” Percy asked, pointing at Aurelio.

“Our son,” I said. “His name is Aurelio,”

“We went to college for a few years and we come back to you having a _kid?”_ Percy asked. “Annie, did you know?”

“Yes, and I told you about it.” She sighed. “Sometimes I wonder if you listen to anything I say, Seaweed Brain,”

“I do listen,” He pouted.

I rolled my eyes as I sat next to Reyna. “Sure you do,” I remarked sarcastically.

“How’s Aurelio doing?” Reyna asked. “Are the treatments working well?”

“He’s tired,” I said. “We all are, and he’s not done with his first cycle and the doctors are considering adding another cycle.” I glanced over to Aurelio, who was sitting in Will’s lap, his baby blue eyes more dull and sunken than they used to be. “Will, make sure he eats a little bit,” I called over to my Mate.

“Of course,” He called back before returning to his conversation with Frank.

“He doesn’t look that good,” Reyna commented. “Is the chemo working?”

“If I’m being honest, I have no idea. The doctors say that it’s normal side effects - fatigue, appetite loss, his hair started falling out, too. Last night he said that everything hurt,” I sighed, shaking my head. “I’m probably just worrying too much, aren’t I?”

“He’s your first child,” Reyna said. “I would imagine you’re terrified for his safety. Being worried is normal. I’d say something is wrong with you if you _weren’t_ worried,” 

“You’re right,” I sighed. “But he’s _three_. He’s so young, I’m worried that this is gonna have effects that last his whole life,” I rubbed my neck anxiously, my fingers brushing over my Mark.

“Maybe you shouldn’t be thinking about the depressing stuff,’ Leo dropped down next to me, handing me one of Frank’s brownies. “Right now, we’re focusing on the good times not dying children,” I wanted to smack him. I thought about smacking him for two seconds. I didn’t smack him.

I dislocated his jaw.

* * *

“That was uncalled for,” Will said. “You’re lucky no one is charging you for assault!”

“I was not going to stand there and let him tell me that my son is going to die!” I snapped back. 

“You dislocated his jaw, Nico!” Will growled. “He could sue you! We don’t have the money to get a lawyer, much less be sued. Not to mention, if you were charged with assault, they’d take Aurelio,” That scared me. That _horrified_ me. I didn’t want my son to be put into foster care where he wouldn’t receive the attention and affection he deserved, where he couldn’t get the treatments he needed. “Did that knock some sense into you?” Will asked quietly.

I nodded, my anger diminishing. “I don’t want to lose Aurelio,” I whispered, my eyes burning with unshed tears.

“Hey, guys,” I turned around to see Leo and his girlfriend, Calypso, who’d called out. “Listen. I’m sorry for whatever Leo said to you. I’m sure he deserved to get hit,” She told us. “And you guys don’t need to worry about us suing you. We understand that you guys need to put every penny you can to your son’s cancer treatments. It’s also a thank you, because Leo isn’t going to be doing a lot of talking for the next month or two,” Leo pouted at her words.

“Thank you,” Will said. “And Nico has something to say to Leo,” Will glared at me like I was a dog who’d pissed in the house. I scowled at him before turning to the Latino boy.

“I’m sorry I dislocated your jaw, It was uncalled for and I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did, even if what you said was completely out of line and disrespectful.” I said.

He held up two thumbs and smiled. _It’s all cool, man._ I’m sure he'd say if he could. I sighed and the four of us headed back into the waiting room, where our friends had been waiting. I quickly took my son from Hazel’s arms and took a seat in one of the stiff chairs as the others talked to Leo and Calypso. I tried to push down the deep sense of shame burying itself in my gut. Aurelio somehow managed to pick up that I wasn’t feeling well, because he grabbed the front of my shirt and looked up at me with his pale blue eye.

“Is okie, Mama,” He mumbled, patting my cheek, his face breaking into a sweet grin. I hugged him close to my chest, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“Yeah, everything is okie dokie,” I told him, my chin resting on top of his head. I closed my eyes, shoving the shame somewhere deep inside of me.

“Hey,” I opened my eyes to see Will sit next to me. “Everyone’s gonna go their separate ways, you guys ready to head home?” Aurelio’s immediate response was to yawn loudly.

“Yeah, we’re ready,” I said, feeling tired myself. “I think everyone’s ready for a nap.”

“You’re right, but I’ve got a shift in an hour,” Will sighed. He’d just gotten back from work, only a couple hours before we went to meet our friends.

“Are you going to be okay?” I asked, resting my head on his shoulder. “You’re working a lot,”

“I’ll be fine, Neeks. Don’t worry,” Despite what he said, I could still hear the exhaustion in his voice as he said it.

“You need to rest,” I told him. “Don’t push yourself too hard and when you get home, get some sleep. Please? For me?” I asked.

“I’ll try,” He said. He stood up and helped me to my feet. “Let’s head home, okay?”

“Yeah, you ready, _tesoro_?” I asked Aurelio, who nodded, his head resting on my shoulder, his small hands gripping the front of my shirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I always appreciate Kudos and comments if you'd like to leave them. Thank you and have a wonderful day, night, evening or whatever time of day it is that you're reading this!
> 
> Also if you were wondering what everyone's secondary genders were they are  
> Percy - Alpha  
> Annabeth - Alpha  
> Piper - Beta  
> Leo - Beta  
> Hazel - beta  
> Frank - Alpha tho he's very cuddly  
> Jason - Alpha  
> Reyna - An Alpha who'd step on me and I'd thank her and beg for more  
> Calypso - Omega


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what happened, but this turned into a Nico chapter really quickly and I didn't now how to go back on it, so here it is. I personally liked the way this turned out, though. Don't be afraid to leave feedback!  
> Also there was a decent amount of Italian used, and translations will be at the bottom. Thank you!

Despite the fact that Aurelio promised to behave at the doctors’, while we were getting him ready, he was - as my father had predicted back when I was pregnant - _hell_ . He’d scream and cry that he didn’t want to have the needles. He’d fight me as I tried to get him dressed, kicking and writhing like a fish out of water. Sometimes he’d do that thing that kids do where they drop and just become flimsy dead weight. Will once told me that Aurelio had _bitten_ him while he was being strapped into his carseat. After Aurelio’s first cycle of treatments was complete, he had several weeks to rest his body and have the medicine circulate through his system uninterrupted.

I was sitting outside of the Target where I worked, watching the rain come down. Since I was on break, I took the time to call my dad, who was keeping an eye on Aurelio while Will and I were working. Who knew that grandparents were the best babysitters - they cared about your kid and you didn’t have to pay fifteen dollars an hour.

_“Hello?”_ Was the first thing he said.

“Hey, Dad,” I said. “How’re you and Aurelio?”

_“I’m alright, though your son has been insisting on keeping me from working,”_ He chuckled.

“What’s he doing?” I felt my lips quirk into a smile as I stepped on a piece of paper that was flying by on the wind. I picked it up and put it in the trash.

_“I’m fairly certain that he’s sick,”_ My father said, his voice falling into a concerned tone. _“Like a cold,”_

“The doctors said one of the side effects of his medicine was cold and flu-like symptoms,” I said thoughtfully. “Will and I assumed he wasn’t going to be affected,”

_“It might be the weather, all this rain might be getting to his system.”_

“Maybe,” I changed my phone to the other ear and glanced at my watch. _13 minutes until I have to be back inside._ “Where’s Aurelio now?”

_“He’s laying down, though I don’t think he’s been able to sleep,”_

“That’s weird, the rain usually helps him sleep. Can you check on him? If he’s awake, let me talk to him,” I said, one side of me wishing to hear my son’s voice, the other hoping he was getting the rest he needed.

_“Of course,”_ He said. _“How’s work?”_

I let out a long groan. “It’s _so_ slow, not even twenty people have come in. I think the rain’s making everyone think twice about getting out of the house,” I vaguely remembered three years ago when the rain was pouring down like it was, when my father, Aurelio and I had gotten into an accident that left me comatose for over three months. Long after I’d recovered, I was still cautious of driving in heavy weather.

_“That’s true,”_ My father said. Through the phone I heard him opening a door, and saying something away from the microphone. _“I’m giving the phone to Aurelio,”_ He told me.

“Okay,” I nodded, though he couldn’t see me.

_“Mama?”_ Aurelio’s voice filtered through my ears and I almost burst into tears. His little voice was raspy, dry and nasally, like his nose was stuffed up.

“Hi, _mio bambino_ , how are you feeling?” I asked, glancing at my watch, eleven minutes left.

_“Bad, ev’ryt’ing hurt,”_ He said before coughing, loud and hard.

“Oh, poor baby,” I crooned, longing to be by his side, rubbing his back and singing to him and helping him drink some tea that’d soothe his sore throat. “You drink water, okay, _tesoro?_ And if your grandpa gives you medicine, you take it,” I added just a bit of force behind my words, knowing that if medicine was put in front of him, he’d fight anyone about taking it.

_“Yes, Mama,”_ He said, sniffling. _“When home?”_

“I won’t be home for a few hours,” I told him. “But Daddy should be home in a little bit,”

_“Really?”_ He whined, sounding disappointed. _“Want Mama,”_

“I’m sorry, _mio caro_ ,” I said. “I promise, Mama will be home as soon as he can, okay?”

_“But want Mama_ now, _”_ His voice became tight and I heard the whine in his voice. My heart twisted in my chest, knowing that my sweet little pup missed me so much he was going to cry.

“I know, I know, _mio caro_ , everything’s going to be okay. I know you want Mama, but Daddy will be there any minute,” I told him, feeling my heart ache. “If Mama had the choice he’d never leave your side, _dolce bambino,_ ”

_“When?”_ Aurelio hiccuped a sob. _“Wh-When Mama home?_ ”

“In a few hours, baby, just a few more hours,” I told him, though everything in my screamed to take off running to his side, to be with him and hold him and make him feel better. “Just wait for Daddy, okay? He’s gonna be home soon,”

Then his crying disappeared. _“Nico?”_

“Hi, Will,” I sighed, glad that my Mate was there to comfort our pup.

_“Hey, hey, it’s okay, it’s okay, Lio. Daddy’s right here,”_ I heard him croon to Aurelio.

_“W-Wan-nt Mamaaaaaaaaa,”_ Aurelio’s hiccuping sob came through the phone and I felt my heart shatter into a thousand pieces.

“Should I come home?” I asked, bouncing on the balls of my feet, anxious and worried. “I can say there’s a family emergency -”

_“No, it’s okay. I have things handled here,”_ Though I could still hear Aurelio begging for me to be there. _“Don’t worry,”_ He said before attempting to sooth Aurelio again, crooning and asking him to calm down for his Daddy.

“Will, I can _hear_ my son crying.” I said, growling in frustration. “Really, if I need to come home-”

_“No, you stay at work.”_ He insisted. _“I’ve got things under control -”_

_“Maamaaaaaa!”_ I could hear Aurelio cry out. _“W-Want Maamaaa!”_

“Put him on,” I snapped. And then Aurelio’s cries became louder as the phone was pressed to his cheek. “Hey, _tesoro_ , shh, shh, _mio caro_ , everything is okay. Deep breaths, Aurelio,” I told him and I heard him take a deep, shuddering breath, then he coughed out another sob. _“Calmati, piccola, andrà tutto bene. La mamma tornerà presto a casa, resta calma. Papà è con te, si prenderà cura di te,”_ I told him, hoping that he understood what I was saying.

_“P’omessa, Mama?”_ He stuttered in fumbling Italian, he was beginning to calm down.

_“Te lo prometto, tesoro mio, la mamma tornerà presto a casa,”_ I whispered. “Mama has to go now. Be good for your Daddy and Grandpa, _mio caro._ ”

_“Okie,”_ He mumbled. _“Bye-bye, Mama. T-ti amo?”_ He sounded confused, as if he wasn’t sure if that was the right phrase.

_“Ti amo, mio bambino,”_ I said, proud that my son understood Italian.

_“Hey, Neeks,”_ Will was back and Aurelio’s cries and whimpers faded away. _“Whatever you said to him helped him calm down. Maybe I really should learn Italian . . ."_

“Sometimes speaking the language of our Motherland is calming,” I mused. “And you should, it’s a beautiful language,”

_“You’re a strange little Omega,”_ He chuckled after a few seconds. _“Anyway, we’ll talk when you get home. The weather’s really bad so I’m gonna stay at your dad’s,”_

“Okay, I love you,” I said. “Take care of Aurelio, make sure he gets rest,”

_“I will and I love you, too, Nico, see you soon. Bye,”_

“Bye,” I hummed before hanging up and slipping back inside just a minute before my break was over.

* * *

After I finished my shift, I stepped outside to see the rain was somehow pouring down even _harder_ than it had been back when I was on break. I winced and glared at the near-black sky. Lightning lit up the sky and thunder cracked like a giant whip. I yelped and stumbled back, my mind tearing back to the crash.

“You okay?” My co-worker, Gwen, asked, coming out behind me. She and I had the same shift.

“Yeah,” I said shakily. “Yeah, just bad memories,” I shook my head, clearing the remnant memories from the wreck away.

“You need a ride?” She asked, holding up a pair of keys awkwardly.

“It depends, are you heading toward Styx Boulevard?” I rubbed the back of my neck.

“I usually pass by it heading home,” She said. “Come on, I’ll drive,”

“Thanks,” I said as she led me to her car.

The ride itself was awkward and filled with the sound of the radio and the occasional crackling and rumbling of thunder. I stared out of the window, anxiously watching the rain pour down the glass in torrents. I couldn’t help but tense up whenever we turned a corner, my mind forcing me to think about what would happen if we turned just a little too fast - flipping and rolling and skidding across the road. Gwen and I would get severely hurt or worse . . . 

When we got to my street, I told her where to stop. When we were stopped outside of my dad’s house, I hesitated before getting out.

“Thanks for the ride.” I said. “Be safe getting home.”

“No problem and I will. See you at work,” She nodded to me, giving a small wave as I got out of the car, closing the door and making a run for the front door, my feet sending up sprays of water as they landed in deep puddles. When I got to the door, I turned and gave Gwen a quick wave before slipping inside.

I shook out my hair and pulled off my coat and shoes. I walked upstairs, and found Will and Aurelio in my old room, both of them asleep. Will was on his back and Aurelio was curled up on his chest. I smiled as I moved into the room, settling down next to Will’s side, my head resting on his shoulder.

“Neeks?” He asked, jerking a little.

“Right here,” I said, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Go back to sleep,”

“Missed you,” He purred, pulled me close to his chest, kissing my wet hair. “Why’re you wet?”

“It’s still raining, Will,” I hummed.

“Oh,” He yawned. “Okay,” I rolled my eyes as Will slipped back into unconsciousness. I turned to Aurelio, who was fast asleep against Will. I smiled at him and ran my fingers over his short hair. I pressed a kiss to his forehead and wrapped my arm around him protectively.

* * *

When I woke up, I was alone, so I did the only rational thing I could - I panicked. I sat up, looking around the room, not seeing Will or Aurelio. I threw the blanket off of me - _I wasn’t covered up when I fell asleep, was I? -_ and rolled out of bed. It was still raining outside, I could hear the rain against the window, thunder rolling across the sky.

I nearly ran out of the room, stumbling down the hall and downstairs, skipping two, three steps at a time. When I reached the bottom, I called out to Will, my Dad, Aurelio, whoever could hear me. I didn’t get a response. I ran to the living room to find it empty. Panic seized my heart and I could feel that there was _something_ wrong.

I ran to the kitchen and dining room., back upstairs to my dad’s office, looking in every room, coming up empty handed. At some point, I’d begun to cry because I was _completely_ alone. I couldn’t find my pup, my Mate or my father. I stumbled back downstairs with blurred vision and fumbled to the front door. I struggled opening it, finding it locked or broken, or _something._

_Had someone broken in? Did they kidnap Aurelio and Will? What about Dad? Where was he?_

I finally managed to break the door open, and I ran outside into the rain. But there was _nothing._ A few feet away from the front doorstep, the world just ended. Everything faded into black shadow. _Nothing_ was there. The world was _gone_.

I turned to reenter the house, so I could have the ability to panic in the peace of my own home, but the door was gone. I turned around again, and again, as if I could turn around just a little bit more to make the door appear once more. But it didn’t. I only had a couple meters between me and the darkness, which seemed intent on swallowing everything - including me. I began hyperventilating, sobbing, scared and alone. Claustrophobia set in and I fell to my knees, my vision fading and tunneling in on nothing as I gave in. I closed my eyes, giving in, and allowed the darkness to swallow me whole.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I wasn’t surrounded by darkness, and I wasn’t alone. I was looking directly into the face of my Mate, my handsome, worry-stricken Mate who I immediately leapt into the arms of. I sobbed into his shoulder, still shaken from the nightmare.

“Shh, I’ve got you, Neeks. Everything is okay,” He whispered in my ear. “I’ve got you, my Omega,”

“Don’t leave me alone,” I whimpered, burying my face into his neck. “I don’t wanna be alone,”

“I’m not gonna go anywhere, Omega,” His voice was an anchor for me to cling to, keeping me stable and grounded. “I’m right here.”

“Where - Where’s Aurelio?” I pulled back, though I kept my arms wrapped around his neck.

“When I noticed you getting bad I gave him to your dad,” He told me. His warm hands came up to cup my face, wiping away my tears. “You want me to get him?” He didn’t pull away more than a few inches before I panicked and clung to him again, desperate to keep him close. “It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m right here. I’m not gonna leave you alone,”

“O-Okay,” I nodded against his chest. “I - I wanna see Aurelio, though,” I pulled away from him just a little. I kept his shirt tightly clutched in my hands.

“Alright, can you walk?” He asked quietly, helping me to my feet. He kept me steady with his arm wrapped securely around my waist as we moved out of the room and downstairs. I almost started crying again - Aurelio was laying on the couch with his head resting on my dad’s leg, watching a cartoon on the TV. My dad looked up as we came downstairs, he carefully removed Aurelio’s head from his lap - at that point I realized my pup was _sleeping_ \- and made his way to us. 

“You look horrible,” He told me, before pulling me into a hug. “Are you alright?” He whispered in my ear as I hugged him back.

“Getting there,” I mumbled. “How’s Aurelio?”

“He fell asleep a few minutes after I turned on the television,” He pulled away, though his black eyes continued to study my face. “Was it bad?”

“Yeah,” I didn’t want to talk about it. “I’m sorry I scared you guys,” I said sheepishly, looking down at my feet.

“It’s okay,” Will said, resting his hand on my shoulder. “You know that we’re here for you,” I nodded, knowing that they were. They’d been there for me for so long, I was _terrified_ to lose them, almost as much as I was terrified to lose Aurelio.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Mio Caro - My Dear  
> Dolce bambino - sweet baby  
> Calmati, piccola, andrà tutto bene. La mamma tornerà presto a casa, resta calma. Papà è con te, si prenderà cura di te, - Calm down, baby, everything will be fine. Mama will come home soon, stay calm. Daddy is with you, he will take care of you  
> P’omessa, is actually Promessa - Promise  
> Te lo prometto, tesoro mio, la mamma tornerà presto a casa, - I promise you, my darling, Mama will be coming home soon  
> Ti amo - I love you  
> Mio bambino - my baby
> 
> A fun fact I almost cried while writing Aurelio's crying scene because I could hear him begging in my head and it was so heartbreaking. And I was writing Nico's nightmare in a dark room in the middle of the night so I thoroughly freaked myself out. Anyway my point is that this chapter was an emotional write. Anyway, thank you for reading and sticking around with these crazy updates. There's only a few more chapters to go! Remember to leave a comment and a kudos if you'd like! Thank you!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi this Is irrelevant, but I got a kitten. Her name is Princess and she is a Calibby. :D

I was sitting on the edge of Aurelio’s bed, holding a tissue to his nose, feeling my heart shatter as I watched the tissue become stained with his blood. I pulled it away from his soft skin before wiping away anything remaining. I sighed and brushed back his dark curls, softly kissing his forehead as Will entered the room.

“How’s he doing?” He asked, his bright blue eyes glancing to the bloodied tissue in my hand. “Nosebleed gone?”

“Yeah, just stopped,” I nodded as Will kneeled in front of us.

“How’re you feeling, buddy?” He asked, wiping a couple tears away from his pink tinted face.

“No feel good, Dada,” Aurelio whined, his lower lip sticking out. “Head achey,”

“Oh,  _ bambino, _ ” I hugged the pup to my chest. “I’ll go get you some meds okay, sunshine?”

“Ok’y,” He said, reaching toward Will, who picked him up, feeling his forehead to check his temperature. I sighed and moved toward the bathroom to get some kids Tylenol before returning back with the small plastic cup of medicine. I handed it to Will, who wondrously managed to coax Aurelio into drinking it all. He set the cup aside, and smiled at me. I returned the smile before kissing Aurelio’s cheek.

“You’ll feel better in a little bit, okie dokie?” I told him, and the pup nodded slowly and I could tell from the look in his eyes that it was probably naptime. “Do you wanna go naptime,  _ bambino _ ?” I asked him softly.

“Yah,” He yawned, his head slumping against Will’s shoulder. “Wit’ Mama and Dada,” He mumbled, his eyes falling shut and his breathing became deeper.

“Hey, let’s go to our room,” Will said quietly as he rubbed Aurelio’s back as our pup fell asleep. “The bed is bigger in there,” I nodded before grabbing a stuffed bear from Aurelio’s bed. My Mate gave me a questioning glance.

“He loves this thing,” I whispered. “He rarely sleeps without it,”

“Alright,” He said before heading out of Aurelio’s bedroom. I followed behind him, smiling as I looked at what I could see of Aurelio’s sleeping face over Will’s shoulder. We settled into our bed quickly and as quietly as we could, Aurelio resting against Will’s chest and I snuggled up to his side, resting my hand on Aurelio’s back.

“He’s got an appointment in a few hours,” Will whispered. “We should set an alarm,” I nodded sleepily against his shoulder before rolling over and grabbing my phone off of the nightstand where I’d set it before climbing into bed. I set an alarm before rolling back over and falling asleep against my Alpha’s warm body, feeling my pup’s heart beating beneath my fingertips

I woke up without the warmth of my Alpha, and for a moment I panicked, bolting upright in an instant, only to land in the arms of Will. I stared at him for a moment before flinging my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “I got so scared,” I whispered. “I don’t want to be alone,”

“I know, I know,” He whispered in my ear, his breath hot against my skin. “Everything is okay, Neeks, everything is okay. Aurelio is safe, he’s downstairs on the couch and he’s waiting for his Daddy to get Mama so they can go to his doctor’s appointment,”

“Right, right,” I nodded. “Did I sleep through the alarm?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry, I took care of Aurelio and I helped him get ready,” Will pulled away and rested his forehead against my own. “You needed a few extra minutes of rest,”

“I - you should’ve woken me up,” I said weakly. “I didn’t need to -”

“Babe, I know you’re exhausted because I am too, so please don’t fight me on this, okay?”

I nodded, falling silent. “Give me five minutes,” I said after a pause. “I’ll be ready to go by then,”

“Okay,” He smiled at me before leaning in and pressing a kiss against my lips.

He pulled away and smiled. “I’m gonna go check on Aurelio,” He hummed before slipping out of the room. I rolled out of bed and ran my fingers through my hair and pulled my t-shirt off, changing into a more dark grey button down shirt. After properly brushing my hair and teeth and bit of cologne, I shoved my phone and wallet into my pockets and headed downstairs. I found Will grabbing his keys, Aurelio’s small hand clutching his fingers.

“Hey,” I said. “You two ready?”

“Yep,” Will smiled. “You? I nodded, and followed him out the door,

The car ride was quiet, after all, Aurelio had fallen asleep a few minutes into the drive. “He must be really tired,” I whispered to my Mate, glancing over the seat to look at our pup, his head lolling to the side and resting on his shoulder.

“Yeah, he really didn’t want to get out of bed.” Will humed. “Things are gonna get better, I just feel it,” He nodded. “What about you?”

“What about me?” I asked, slumping back in my seat.

“How are you feeling?”

“Stressed, tired, and scared. I’m terrified that the doctors are going to tell us that we’re not going to be able to do anything other than buy a tiny coffin.” I whispered, feeling my heart begin to twist and ache at the thought of putting my son in the ground.

“Hey, hey, don’t think like that, Neeks,” Will told me, reaching over to grab my hand. “Everything is going to turn out just fine,”

“You’ve always been the optimist, haven’t you?” I scowled, feeling empty, my chest hollow and aching to believe him. To believe everything was going to be okay.

“It’s better thinking like that, I think. Being pessimistic just makes everything seem dark and dull,”

“Yet you fell in love with me,” I said. “Sometimes, I wonder why. I’m not exactly what people call  _ good Omega material, _ ”

“Oh, hush, You were you, you were amazing and perfect and I just couldn’t get you out of my head,” Will smiled, reminiscing. “I loved you, and I still do,”

“I love you too, Will” I hummed. “I’m sorry if I’m stressing you out,”

“It’s okay, you’re not stressing me out at all,” He rubbed his fingers over the back of my hand, attempting to soothe my nerves.

“But you’re still stressed…” I murmured.

“We both are, Neeks, but I just feel it in my gut - things are gonna get better,” He smiled, pulling my hand to his lips in a sweet kiss.

I bounced Aurelio gently on my knee, waiting for the doctors to return with the test results. Will paced the floor running his fingers through his hair. He was struggling to keep his optimistic composure as the stress began to weigh down on us.

“Hey, why don’t you sit down?” I asked. “You’re stressing out me and Aurelio by pacing like that,”

“Sorry,” He stopped pacing, taking a moment to fix his tousled blond hair before sitting in the stiff chair against the opposite wall. “Hi,” He smiled nervously.

“Silly, Dada,” Aurelio mumbled. “You been here,”

I smiled as Will laughed. “You’re right, Daddy is silly, isn’t he,” I purred, and hugged my small pup close. “How are you feeling,  _ bambino _ ?”

“Sleepy,” His statement was accentuated with a big yawn.

“Hey, Bud, when you’re yawning you gotta cover your mouth,” Will said.

“Why?” Aurelio looked over at him with big baby blue eyes.

“Because if you don’t, bugs will fly into your mouth,” My Mate hummed. “Or you’ll yawn really wide and your mouth will get stuck and never close again,”

“No!” Aurelio hid his face in my chest. “Don’t wanna open mouf!”

“Then cover your mouth when you yawn, angel,” I hummed, kissing his temple. “And besides, Daddy’s just playing with you. It’s possible to close your mouth, but it’d just hurt a  _ lot _ ,” I cupped his face, pressing a deep kiss to his forehead. He whined softly, his jaw firmly shut in an adorable pout. 

“Hello,” The door opened and the doctor walked in. “Sorry for keeping you three waiting for so long.”

“It’s alright, Doctor,” Will said, standing up from his seat again. “How is he?”

“Well, the test results deem him clear, but I would like to have him come in a few more times over the next few months so we can keep an eye on his state,” The doctor told him. “While right now he’s clear I would like to remind you, he is very much at risk of the cancer recurring in the future.”

“Of course, we’ll do what we can to keep him healthy.” Will nodded. “Is there anything we should do or keep an eye out for?”

“Over the next few weeks and months, he’s going to be recovering from the chemotherapy, so he will still exhibit signs of fatigue as well as appetite issues. There are a few things you can do, mostly making sure he’s getting the nutrients and rest he needs.” The doctor began listing off dietary supplements if Aurelio didn’t want to eat.

I couldn’t focus on that, though. I couldn’t think about what the doctor was saying because my mind was focused on the fact that Aurelio was okay. My sweet pup’s cancer was gone! He was going to get better! I hugged him close to my chest, nuzzling his dark curled and purring, my chest rumbling with happiness and relief. Everything felt so much better, knowing that Aurelio was going to be okay. I didn’t even realize I’d started crying until I let out a sob, catching my Alpha’s attention. He cupped my face, asking if I was okay, if I needed anything at all. I only pulled him close and kissed him, our lips pressing together.

“Everything is going to be okay,” I whispered when we pulled away. “We’re going to be okay,”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a little bit since my last chapter, but then again, I was struggling to write this one. I know it seems a little fast at the end but it was starting to frustrate me so, I got out what I could. I'm sorry for this but I did what I was able to do. Lately sleeping has been a huge issue for me. I'm sorry. Anyway, there's only the epilogue left, then the third and final installment. But after the epilogue I'm going to take a step back from this series and work on some other stuff.


	8. Epilogue

Once our friends had found out that Aurelio was cancer free, they decided that there would  _ absolutely _ be a celebration, and for once their timing was impeccable. They’d set up the celebration to double as Aurelio’s fourth birthday party. Percy and Annabeth flew home from New York, bringing their six year old son, Luke, and their two year old daughter, Zoë. Frank and Hazel were there as well, obviously, and they came with their exciting news of engagement, which was amazing, since it had taken Frank so long to ask her to go out with him. I wasn’t too close to Leo or Calypso, but they were friends, nonetheless and they were friends and were really kind to Aurelio. According to Annabeth, Piper couldn’t make it due to her moving back to Oklahoma.

While everyone talked and caught up on things that they’d missed out on while separated. Frank, who was a firefighter, almost burnt alive while he was on duty, which terrified Hazel to no end. I thought it was almost funny; Frank was almost six and a half feet tall and built like The Rock, but Haze who was a foot shorter and built more like a cinnamon roll terrified him. Leo and Calypso had opened up an auto repair shop in town and they were already doing wonderfully, despite being open for just over a year and a half.. Percy and Annabeth, as well as their children, got a nice apartment in Manhattan, where Percy had grown up with his mom. Annabeth had gone off on a tangent about an architectural job she’d gotten and she described, in amazing, exact detail, what her plans were.

“Anyway,” Annabeth, sighed, her grey eyes alight with her passion for architecture. “Will, how’s med school?”

“Doing really good, it’s gonna be two more years before I get my doctorate, though,” He shrugged. “It’s going to be a lot of work, but it’s worth it,”

“That’s good, I’m really proud of you,” Annabeth smiled.

“What about you, Death Boy,” Leo chimed in. “Are you going to college or are you gonna be a stay at home mom? Maybe you could babysit when we have kids,” 

“No, I’m not going to be a stay at home mom,” I shook my head. “I’m taking some online classes to get my bachelor’s in music education so I can teach piano.”

“You’re forgetting that you’re minoring in law,” Will smiled over at me, his blue eyes beaming with pride.

“You? Going into law?” Percy asked, laughing. “I never expected you to follow in Uncle Hades’ footsteps,”

“Why not? My father is an admirable man and a fantastic lawyer,” I scowled at my older cousin. “Besides, he’s running for state governor and he’s doing great! What has your father accomplished?”

“He’s a marine biologist,” Percy pouted, knowing, even though his father was the top of his field, my father was surpassing him.

“Don’t be bummed out,” Leo snickered. “It’s not your fault that your uncle is better than your dad,”

“At least it’s not Zeus,” I sighed. “That man has a real stick up his ass,”

“And his dick in at least a dozen women,” Percy snickered, and Annabeth smacked the back of his head.

“There are  _ children _ in the other room!” She scowled. “The both of you need to watch your mouths!”

“Right, right,” I shook my head, glancing back to where the kids were playing. Luke and Aurelio seemed to be getting along well, and Zoë was in her playpen napping. Aurelio, slowly was regaining his energy, since he was no longer on chemo and his little body wasn’t struggling to heal itself. He was becoming a normal pup, happy and carefree. I smiled at him as he and Luke played with superhero action figures, making noises and being exactly what they were,  _ kids. _ “Speaking of which,” I hummed, turning back to the group, my head resting on my Mate’s shoulder. “On the topic of kids, I’m pregnant,” I tucked my feet beneath me, closing my eyes.

Will stared at me, I could feel his gaze boring into my head. “Are you serious?”

I nodded, opening my eyes to glare at him. “You better not disappear this time, William,” I told him. He nodded and smiled brightly, standing up quickly and pulling me with him. I made a rather undignified noise as he lifted me off of the ground.

“We’re going to have another pup!” He nearly shouted in excitement. I laughed as he spun me around, his lips pressing against mine in a long, passionate kiss. When we needed to breathe again, he set me on my feet, where I was instantly tackled from behind by Hazel, who was beaming.

“Congratulations!” She smiled. “Aurelio is going to be an amazing big brother, don’t you think?”

“I know he’ll love them,” I purred in response. I wasn’t sure how to explain to my three - no, four year old that he was going to be a big brother. I would have to figure it out in the future.

“You think your kids will get along well with mine?” Hazel asked, her golden eyes gleaming with a mischievous light.

“ _ You’re _ pregnant, too?” Percy blinked, his sea green eyes wide and confused. He stared at Annabeth, as if wondering if she was going to have his third child so soon. “Who else is pregnant?”

“No one, Seaweed Brain,” Annabeth shook her head and stood up. She hugged both me and Hazel tightly. “Congrats, both of you. But I’m sorry that you’re going to have to say goodbye to whatever sleep schedules you have.” She smiled sympathetically. “But I know you’re both strong and capable of raising children, so I will only worry a little bit,”  
I snorted at that. “Thanks, Annabeth. Good to know you care,” It was only a little sarcastic.

We sat back, Annabeth with Percy, Hazel tucked under Frank’s large arm, and I sat with my legs over Will’s lap as my Alpha beamed with pride.

“Why can’t we have kids?” Leo turned to Calypso, who pushed him off the arm of her chair.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the End of Part Two, it took way longer to write than I had anticipated, but writer's block is most certainly a bitch. Anyway, I'm going to take a break from this series to work on other fics I have started and planned. Thank you for reading and I really appreciate feedback and kudos! Thank you and have a beautiful [insert time of day you read this]!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back baby! Chapter updates will be sporadic but in the mean time you can check out my other Solangelo fic, Dancing by Daylight. Hope you guys enjoyed and I'll see you in the next one!


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